Before There Were Four
by SwiftyGirl7474
Summary: A Prequel to my Season Rewrites: Explains how Prue found Paige at such a young age, the events surrounding Paige coming to live with them, how the prophecy of three was altered to include Paige. Mostly focuses on the relationship between Prue and Paige.
1. There Were Three

_A/N: I apologize as the first couple of chapters are just setting the scene and there is not anything new but this story is complete so there will be constant updates. Once every other day probably depending on my schedule. It's not terribly exciting since it wasn't my intention to be dramatic but it has a lot of information. I hope all those little references I made in my season two will make more sense put into context lol. Enjoy!_

**Before There Were Four: There were Three**

Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest Halliwell sister, was popular in her own right. Her group was kind of shady. They liked to wear black, though Phoebe always got angry at everyone's stereotyping just based on the color they wore, and they were the troublemakers of the school. Most were guys but there were a generous number of girls. By now, every guy had "dated" (as much as middle schoolers could) every girl in their group and they just kept switching around. Phoebe imagined herself as the fun one of her sisters. She was up for anything. Rules were meant to be broken and you should try everything at least once before deciding against something. She made a habit of getting sent to the principal's office and a week wasn't over without getting detention and being yelled at by Grams **and** Prue. So far this year, she'd been sent to the office for pranking, cussing at a teacher, and punching a guy in the face after he wouldn't leave her alone. She went to school for the socialization, not the grades. Her grades were downright embarrassing to her family and she had already skipped class on several occasions. Granted, her idea of skipping a class wasn't the same as say, if Prue decided to skip class. She was still only twelve so most things were pretty harmless but she was definitely heading in the wrong direction. At least, so said everyone else.

Phoebe had mixed feelings regarding her family. As hard as it was to admit, Prue was probably the most fun of her sisters. Prue was out there making something of herself and, of course, she had her own rebellious streak that intrigued Phoebe. The thing was, the two could never have fun together. Prue treated her like a child so Phoebe made a point to show she wasn't, usually by doing things she shouldn't be doing. Piper just didn't really do **anything**. Phoebe enjoyed talking with her when she needed some help and maybe watching a movie that they could laugh over but when it came to anything social, Piper was a stick in the mud. Grams was just way too strict and that was all there was to it.

The one thing Phoebe really enjoyed in school was gym. She loved sports, especially if she could show up the guys. It made them interested in her and she was happy to be the center of attention. Today's sport was soccer, Phoebe's best. She had just made a spectacular goal and her team exploded into cheers when a whistle was blown. Everyone fell quieter (mostly) as the coach approached. She wondered if she'd done something wrong but couldn't remember even cussing at one of the other students. She decided to strike a defensive stance anyways since he was getting closer to her instead of veering to another student.

"The principal would like to see you," the coach explained, pointing behind him where the familiar face of her principal stood at the edge of the gym.

Phoebe scowled as that was never a good thing for her. The problem was worse because she couldn't even remember what she'd done this time. She didn't offer her coach a word or her peers a glance as she stalked over to her principal.

"You're not in trouble," the principal assured her, obviously knowing exactly where the attitude was coming from.

"Oh…" Phoebe mumbled in surprise. She hastily took off after him as he led the way out. She thought they were heading for his office but he turned down a different hallway. "Where're we going?" Phoebe demanded suspiciously.

The principal glanced over at her and chose to ignore her attitude. "To pick up your sister," he answered shortly.

That lightened Phoebe's mood considerably. If Piper was going to be there it couldn't be that bad, right?

~PO4~

Piper Halliwell, the middle sister of the three, was much different than both her younger and her older sister. Whereas, Prue was known for her popularity, her grades, her personality and Phoebe was known for her free spirit and her crowd, Piper was known for… really nothing. She was shy, sat in a corner of the room, and tried to keep from being noticed. A part of her always wanted what Prue had or even Phoebe, but she didn't fool herself into believing she could have it. She didn't have the looks. Prue was naturally beautiful while Piper was stuck with large, thick glasses that hid her brown eyes. She kept her messy hair pulled back and wore clothes that had been Prue's that had gone out of style. Her hand-me-down clothes were always in good condition (Prue loved her clothes) and Piper could even pull off wearing them if she tried. But she didn't. She didn't think she could. Phoebe could do it but not her. Her grades were stellar, better than Prue's and most definitely better than Phoebe's, but outside of class she was lucky if anyone knew her name. Her 8th grade year was almost halfway over and then the next she would be in high school. Piper was already dreading it. Missy Campbell, a girl in her year, had taken to making fun of her and it was only 8th grade. What did anything matter in 8th grade? Piper could only imagine how much worse it was going to be in high school. Her only saving grace was that Prue would be there too.

Her sisters… she got along with both of them which she thought was rather lucky considering how Prue and Phoebe clashed all the time. She was the one that could calm them down and even led their bonding moments though all three of them were hardly ever together. Prue being a Sophomore in high school didn't find much interest in the "childish" antics of their twelve year old sister. She preferred Piper and Piper actually enjoyed the times she spent sharing secrets with Prue. Piper didn't really know why Prue spent time with her. She was only a year older than Phoebe but she wasn't going to complain.

Her day was going perfectly normal and she was trudging through the hall with her backpack slung over one shoulder. She was at her locker trying to put the combination in when a shadow passed over her. Instinctively, Piper glanced over her shoulder and was surprised to find the principal standing there with… Phoebe. At first, Piper thought that Phoebe had gotten herself in trouble and the principal couldn't get the right number for Grams from the feisty younger Halliwell but a look at Phoebe showed that she wasn't in trouble. She was too laid back and she was smiling. The principal said something about following them and Piper reluctantly did so. She had a strange feeling and she didn't think it was good. Phoebe was chattering on about her day, probably gloating that she wasn't in trouble, when they walked into the office.

"Call Nancy at Baker High and arrange for Prudence Victoria Halliwell transport down here," the principal ordered to the secretary.

Piper frowned more at that and even Phoebe seemed to get that something was strange. They were silently sitting in the principal's office waiting for their older sister to make it down here.

~PO4~

Prudence "Prue" Halliwell, the eldest of the three at the age of fifteen, was the only one to attend Baker High. She had a group of giggling girls and handsome boys trailing after her from the moment she stepped onto the school campus and until she left after cheerleading practice. This day, a chilly November morning, was no different. Having an October birthday, she was one of the first of her class to get her driver's permit. She had gotten it over the weekend and it was still the talk of her group despite it being Thursday now. Her on and off boyfriend (currently on), Andy Trudeau, was the only one she really paid attention to. The others were content to just appear as if they were friends with her. Andy lived next door and had been her best friend since they were four. He was almost always seen walking to and from school with Prue and her two younger sisters, much to the disdain of the guys that wished to date Prue and the girls that wished to date him. Prue and Andy had generally the same schedule, only splitting up for one class out of four and it was before lunch. The day dragged along as every Thursday does for school kids. It wasn't until they returned to their third class right after lunch that something changed. Andy sat on one side of her in their history class, taking notes every now and then as the teacher lectured. Justin Harper, a boy that was infatuated with Prue, had managed to steal a seat next to her (how he had done it with Prue's group always surrounding her, no one knew) and was attempting to talk to her even as the teacher droned on. Prue, however, ignored him and focused on furiously taking notes. Knowing Andy, he would probably need them later. The classroom phone rang, interrupting the lecture and their teacher moved off to answer it. Everyone dropped their pencils and began whispering excitedly about who was getting checked out. They listened intently, hoping to hear their name as a surprise check-out.

"Prue, you're wanted in the office. Take your stuff," the teacher called after hanging up the phone.

Prue looked surprised but shrugged and gathered her bag and notebooks together. She waved at Andy and started for the door. She couldn't help but notice her teacher was watching her with a … pitying expression? That made her a little nervous but she pushed it away as an overreaction as she dragged her stuff to the office. As soon as she got there, she was hurried down to Baker Middle as if her life depended on it. She immediately assumed Phoebe had gotten herself into trouble again but she couldn't think of a reason why she would need to be down there. Prue started to worry that one of her sisters had gotten hurt. Other people might not know it, even her sisters, but Prue would be devastated if anything happened to either of them. She and Phoebe may not get along but Phoebe was her baby sister and without their mother, Prue almost felt it was her responsibility to take care of her. Scratch that, she **did** feel it was her responsibility. And Piper? Piper was the one that kept her sane, the one that understood, the **good** sister. Of course, her worry was needless as once she walked in the door of Baker Middle's office, she saw both Piper and Phoebe appearing perfectly unharmed. Her temporary moment of relief was shattered by the next words out of the principal's mouth.


	2. An Incident Changed What Was

****_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! After this chapter, the chapters start getting a little bit longer. I'm used to writing longer pieces but there is a purpose for separating it into chapters._

**An Incident Changed What Was**

Prue glanced at her sisters and Piper offered her a shrug after reading the silent question in her eyes. Silently, Prue dropped her bags on the floor and took a seat next to Phoebe, who was unusually silent. The principal seemed to be searching for words and that only made the three sisters all that more apprehensive.

"We have just received a call that your grandmother was admitted to the hospital this morning around eleven. We're working on getting you a transport to the hospital," he finally admitted.

The sisters each looked stunned at the news. Prue was the only one to maintain the ability to form a coherent response. "What happened?" she asked simply.

"All I know is that she collapsed and your Aunt Gail called an ambulance," he answered, almost apologetically.

"Well, is she okay?" Phoebe demanded. Prue glanced at her for her raised voice but didn't have the heart to berate her over this.

The principal didn't immediately answer. "I know this has come as a shock but the police should be here shortly. They will have more information for you. Ms. Collier will join you until they arrive. Excuse me," he offered before going back to whatever it is principals do.

"That's it? That's all they're going to tell us?" Phoebe exclaimed so loudly that the secretary looked worriedly in their direction.

Piper took Phoebe's hand in an attempt to calm her down. It was the only thing she could think to do upon hearing this kind of news. "Prue?" she whispered. Her gaze turned to find Prue with a forced look of composure and she silently pleaded for some assurance. Prue was always the strongest.

"I'm sure she's fine, you guys," Prue assured them gently. She wasn't sure herself but she knew it was what Piper and Phoebe needed to hear.

Phoebe spun on her with wide brown eyes. "Really?" she asked.

Prue slowly stood up and wrapped her arms around her youngest sister. "Really. Grams is the strongest person I know," Prue repeated. She sat back down and pulled Phoebe into the seat with her so she wouldn't have to let her go. "Who's Ms. Collier?" Prue wondered after a few moments of silence.

"The counselor," Piper mumbled. Prue's eyes flashed at the thought of a counselor. They didn't even really care so she sure didn't want to talk with one.

Phoebe seemed to know exactly what Prue's silence meant. "If she comes in here, I'll tell her to get lost," Phoebe decided, earning a smirk from Prue. Even Piper smiled slightly as she knew Phoebe would definitely do it. "Prue's a better counselor than them anyways." Phoebe added.

~PO4~

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were escorted to the hospital by the police where they took them to the waiting room. The police were there just because Grams was the sole guardian of the girls and obviously she wasn't there to watch them. Standard protocol so they said. The officers stayed their distance as Phoebe made it obvious that she didn't want them bothering them. They passed the time chatting with each other. It was one of the few times all three could keep a civil conversation going.

Eventually a doctor came out. "Halliwell," she called, her eyes on the clipboard in her hands.

The sisters jumped up and Prue led the way forward. "Is our Grams okay?" Phoebe asked without waiting for the doctor to explain anything.

The doctor's eyes flickered over the three girls and she was surprised that they were the only ones here. She didn't usually share news with children. However, she could tell the police were listening closely. "She's going to be fine. A little bed rest, a change of diet, some medication and she'll be good as new. She needs to stay at least through the weekend so we can run some more tests to try and make sure this doesn't happen again," she explained gently.

"Do you have an idea what happened?" Prue inquired after letting out a sigh of relief. She felt Piper's grip on her hand loosen just a little at the better news and Phoebe didn't feel as tense.

"From the description and our examination, it appears to have been a fainting spell. Too much stress is likely but that's why we're going to run more tests. At her age, stress can lead to life threatening complications," the doctor answered.

Piper's eyes widened. "Life threatening?" she repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"But easily preventable if the right steps are taken," the doctor assured them hastily. She felt bad enough having to tell children something like this. She didn't want to freak them out any more than necessary.

"Can we see her?" Prue questioned after a brief moment of silence.

"I'm afraid not now. She shouldn't have visitors until tomorrow," the doctor denied their request.

The police officers from the corner had advanced unnoticed from behind the sisters. "Thanks for the report, doctor Bracen. We won't hold you any longer," one of them stated. Doctor Bracen nodded to the officers and the girls before she left back to work.

Prue glared at the officers for ending their conversation when they had obviously not been done. "Can we help you with something?" she snapped, tired of their hanging around but being completely useless.

"Actually, yes, we need to speak with you about your living arrangements," another officer explained.

Phoebe appeared exasperated with them as well. "Okay, go," she told them when they didn't immediately start.

"With Ms. Prudence only," the first officer clarified.

"Whatever you need to say can be said in front of my sisters," Prue argued, refusing to leave them.

The first officer rolled his eyes. "Your guardian is incapable of watching you for the time being so we have found places for you to stay until she is out of the hospital."

Prue narrowed her eyes. "Places? As in plural?" Prue repeated. The second officer nodded to her in answer. "We're not splitting up," she refused firmly.

"That will no longer be necessary," a third party joined the conversation.

"Mr. Trudeau," Piper realized. Andy was just behind him with his mother, Linda Trudeau. Prue smiled weakly at him.

Robert Trudeau offered Piper a kind smile in greeting before he pulled out his police mark and several sheets of paper that he let the other officers see. "The Halliwell girls will be staying with us until Penny is out of the hospital," he continued.


	3. And Led One To Discover a Secret

_A/N: I'm going on a mini-vacation this weekend so I'll post the next chapter up tomorrow sometime since I won't have internet. This chapter has a reference to my Season Two: P4H2O chapter, so if you've read that then see if you can catch it!_

_The fainting spell was indeed a prelude to her heart attack since the signs would begin to show and escalate for a few years._

_Enjoy and review!_

**And Led One to Discover a Secret**

The three sisters were ushered out of the hospital after another hour during which Mr. Trudeau visited Grams to let her know the girls would stay with them. The doctor had been reluctant to let him in but as he was an adult and an officer she let him have fifteen minutes. The rest of the day was uneventful as they all did their homework (even Phoebe did most of hers) and Andy filled Prue in on the rest of history and biology that she missed. Otherwise, conversation was sparse as everyone was wrapped up in their own thoughts. After dinner, Piper went straight to sleep in the spare bedroom. Phoebe only stayed up thirty more minutes before she gave up trying to entertain herself at the Trudeau's and went to sleep. Prue and Andy were left in the conservatory, watching their favorite cop program that was usually banned by Grams.

Andy kept glancing at her as it was obvious she was wrapped up in her own thoughts. Not good ones either, her brow was creased slightly and her eyes were distant as she was curled in the corner of the couch. "Prue?" Andy jarred her from whatever she was thinking about.

At first she didn't answer and Andy was beginning to think that she wasn't going to but eventually she shifted to face him. "They were going to split us up," Prue stated suddenly. She continued when Andy looked a little confused. "If something happened to Grams, they would split me, Piper, and Phoebe up."

"You heard the doctor, Prue. She's going to be fine," Andy reminded her.

"Yeah, but what about next time?" Prue argued. "She's not supposed to have to take care of us by herself and you know that's where the stress is coming from. I mean, that's the only thing that she could be doing that's stressful," she continued logically.

Andy shook his head. "Not necessarily. She doesn't really strike me as someone who just hangs around the house while you're gone. I wouldn't be surprised if she's really a superhero," he joked to lighten the mood. It seemed to work a little as Prue smiled slightly at the thought. "Look, nothing's going to happen to your Grams and I doubt anyone would ever be able to separate you three. My parents wouldn't allow it anyways," Andy assured her in all seriousness.

Prue wasn't too sure about that but let it drop as there was no use in worrying about it. "Thanks," she appreciated their short but to the point conversation. She yawned and slowly uncurled herself. "I think I'll go on to sleep too," she decided.

"You can have my bed," Andy offered. "I'll take the couch."

"It's okay. I'll pile in with Piper and Phoebe," Prue insisted.

~PO4~

Piper was the first sister to wake up the next morning and she was surprised to find it was close to nine o'clock AM. She untangled herself from her sisters, which was difficult as she was on the bottom with Phoebe's legs splayed across hers. Prue was as close to the middle of the bed as humanely possible, leaving Piper and Phoebe to share the other half of the bed. Unintentionally, of course, Prue had also stolen every bit of blanket and had them piled on top of her. Piper was surprised Prue could even breathe or didn't have a heat stroke with all of them. Once freeing herself, she stumbled on downstairs. There was no sign of Andy or his dad but Mrs. Trudeau was in the kitchen.

"Oh, Piper, help yourself to some breakfast," Mrs. Trudeau offered as soon as she caught sight of the middle sister. "I was just about to wake you, Prue, and Phoebe up," she added.

Piper smiled blearily and dropped into a seat before grabbing at the biscuits on the table. "Where's Andy?" she wondered after taking a huge bite of her biscuit.

Mrs. Trudeau glanced over her shoulder at Piper. "Robert took him on to school. We decided to let you miss today to visit your Grams in the hospital," Mrs. Trudeau explained. Piper felt a wave of gratitude wash over her but before she could say it aloud, yelling was heard from the spare bedroom. Mrs. Trudeau looked in that direction worriedly, obviously trying to figure out whether it was something serious or not. Piper just sighed as the early morning scream fest was starting.

"Phoebe!" Prue screamed. Piper could hear quick footsteps and unabashed laughter followed by stomping steps which she assumed to be Prue's. "What was that for?!" Prue continued without lowering her voice.

Phoebe came running in, the apparent source of the laughter, and hid behind Mrs. Trudeau. "Girls, what is the problem?" Mrs. Trudeau asked with a stern edge to her voice.

"Prue fell off the bed," Phoebe laughed.

"You mean you **pushed** me off the bed," Prue snapped, appearing ready to strangle her sister.

"You just lack the appropriate coordination," Phoebe returned in a voice that sounded as if she had practiced that line from somewhere.

Prue narrowed her eyes more. "I was asleep!"

"Alright, that's enough. Phoebe, apologize to your sister," Mrs. Trudeau ordered.

Phoebe stopped laughing at once and looked as if she had tasted a bad lemon. "Sorry," she apologized, albeit reluctantly but she wasn't about to antagonize Mrs. Trudeau.

"Now, the both of you eat breakfast and then we'll go visit your Grams," Mrs. Trudeau continued in a much more cheerful voice.

Phoebe and Prue shot one more glare at each other before joining Piper at the table.

~PO4~

Their trip to meet Grams was short as Doctor Bracen, who was beginning to really get on Prue's nerves, did not think three teenage girls would help with Grams' recovery. They were kicked out after only ten minutes each with her during which Grams just pestered them about getting their homework done and to watch out for each other and think about their destiny or something crazy like that. Typical Grams.

Afterwards, they picked Andy up from school a class early and Phoebe suggested that Mrs. Trudeau let them stay at the Manor. Mrs. Trudeau seemed to understand that their house didn't have much entertainment for three teenage girls as they only had Andy so she agreed. She kept herself busy watching TV while she cleaned and the sisters and Andy disappeared in various sections of the house. Piper picked a couch to read a book on. Phoebe plopped down in front of the TV with snack food while Prue and Andy ran to Prue's room.

Prue and Andy plopped down on Prue's bed after throwing Andy's bag in the floor. "Andy, are you going to the game tonight?" Prue asked after she was reminded by her cheerleading uniform that lay on the back of her vanity chair.

"Mom said no," Andy admitted with a shrug. He didn't sound too upset about it. "You're only going to miss doing a ton of push-ups anyways. We're gonna cream 'em," Andy added, knowing that was why Prue had asked to begin with.

Prue looked thoughtful. "I could do without the work-out," she decided with a smirk. Prue rolled onto her back so that she looked up at Andy. "So what do you want to do then? We have at least two hours before we eat."

"I can think of a few things," Andy replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Whatever it is, we have to be quiet," Prue pointed out, waving her hand at the floor to indicate Andy's mother downstairs.

Andy nodded. "It is," he promised, rolling off the bed and then pulling Prue after him and out the door of her room.

"Andy?" Prue prompted.

Andy glanced over his shoulder at her. "Your Grams isn't home right now," he elaborated with a point at her room.

Prue's smile widened as she understood. They had never been allowed in Grams' room before. Every time they had tried, they were always caught. Even Phoebe had never made it inside before. "Hurry before anyone comes up here," Prue whispered excitedly.

Andy pushed the door open to reveal the normal set-up of a bedroom. "She has to be hiding something in here that we're not supposed to see," he repeated the conclusion that each of the sisters, even Piper, had come to agree on.

"If I was Grams, where would I hide my stuff?" Prue mumbled after leading the way inside. She was almost in awe that she had made it past the doorframe. It was a new record. Her eyes landed on the bed and she pointed. Prue and Andy both dove under it and pulled out several large tubs. Most had old clothes or sewing materials and various other 'old people' knickknacks that Prue and Andy didn't even know what they were. They had almost given up under the bed when Prue noticed a smaller box hidden in a corner. "Andy, right there," she told him. For some reason it seemed as if Andy was moving in slow motion to get the box. She itched to open it up. Andy finally brought it into her reach and she pulled the top off.

She dug through it with Andy looking over her shoulder. There were several small photo albums inside. Four of them to be exact. She exchanged a look with Andy before she pulled one out and Andy took another. She flipped through hers to see her mother and father holding a baby. There was nothing to suggest which of them it was until she flipped another page and saw a toddler her with her mother and the baby. Sure enough the date was Piper's birth year.

"These are of you," Andy announced.

"Yeah, I got Piper's. They must be our baby albums," Prue guessed with a shrug.

Andy sat the album he had down and pulled out another one. A few pages and he ascertained that it was Phoebe's. The date once again proved him correct. "So what do you think that one is?" he wondered, pointing to the last.

"Mom and Dad's wedding pictures?" Prue suggested eagerly. She'd never actually seen any wedding pictures outside of one that used to be in a frame in the conservatory before Victor had left. It was gone now and despite Prue not really caring about seeing her father, she wanted to see what her mother had looked like on her wedding day. She snatched it up eagerly and flipped it open. Only there were no wedding pictures. It was another baby, another girl to be specific as the pink blanket suggested. Patty was holding her just as she had Prue, Piper, and Phoebe. Prue frowned and glanced at Andy to find him confused.

"The date says another year after Phoebe," Andy pointed out.

Prue's frown deepened as she flipped through it. There were far less pictures in this album. In fact there didn't seem to be any of the baby except from the day August 2. One picture caught her attention. There was a man in the background, barely seen but Prue vaguely recognized him. "I remember him. His name was Sam and he hung out with Mom…" she trailed off. Her eyes flickered up to meet Andy's. "You don't think…?"

"I don't know," he admitted, taking the album from her. He flipped to the last page and there was a piece of paper lodged into a spot where a picture would normally go. "An address?" Andy asked in surprise.

"Yeah, but to where?" Prue wondered aloud.

"Hey, Prue?!" Phoebe's voice carried from the staircase just as the creak of the stairs started.

Prue's eyes widened and she waved frantically at all the stuff as if the action would do something to clean it up. Andy immediately started putting the tops on the tubs and sliding them under the bed. Prue took the albums and stuffed them back in the box the way they were. She hesitated though and after a moment, she snatched out the album of the mysterious baby and passed Andy the box. He looked at her questioningly but there wasn't time for him to ask anything.

He had just put the box back in its spot and got out from under the bed when Phoebe made it to the doorway. She stared wide-eyed at them, her eyes glinted just before she spun back the other way. "Mrs. Trudeau! Prue and Andy are in Grams' room!" Phoebe yelled.

Prue thought about being annoyed but she was really just glad that Phoebe hadn't asked what they were doing and hadn't seen the album. Prue grabbed it and she and Andy dashed out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Andrew Trudeau and Prudence Halliwell! Stay out of Penny's Room!" Mrs. Trudeau's voice drifted up to them.

"Yes, Mom," Andy called back. He made himself seen at the top of the stairs while his mother stood at the bottom. Mrs. Trudeau eyed him sternly before she went back to the kitchen. Andy breathed a sigh of relief and ran back to Prue's room.

Prue was just hiding the album inside her pillowcase when Andy walked in. "So I got something quiet we can do," Prue stated.

"What would that be?" Andy questioned.

Prue didn't answer aloud. She pushed Andy on the bed and she followed before planting a kiss on his lips. She felt him smile behind it and she eagerly deepened it until the two had a full-blown make-out session going to pass the time.


	4. Of A Fourth That Had Been Hidden

_A/N: I apologize for not posting this before I left like I said. I left much earlier than I was expecting._

**Of A Fourth That Had Been Hidden**

A week had passed since Prue and Andy had found the hidden photo album. Grams was now back in the Manor and luckily Andy's mother hadn't told her about them being in her room. Her Grams seemed as clueless as her sisters that Prue had the album. Andy kept telling her to let it go or to just ask Grams straight up but Prue was reluctant to do so. Every night after Piper fell asleep, Prue would flip open the album and look at the unknown little girl and then the address.

This one particular night, she came to the conclusion that she would just have to find out where the address was to and then visit that place. Maybe she would find some answers then. She flipped off the lamp next to her bed and slipped the album under her pillow where no one would find it.

The next morning was nothing special except that it was a Saturday. Piper was already up and had cooked breakfast for them and Grams by the time Prue rolled out of bed. She dressed casually in dark jeans and a t-shirt since she wasn't expecting to run into anyone today and then slipped the address in her back pocket. She wasn't even going to bring Andy with her. For some reason, she felt she had to do it by herself. Prue told Grams and Piper that she was going to the park to practice her cheerleading moves (which would explain the casual clothing) and Phoebe was just strolling down the stairs when Prue walked out the front door.

She went to the park like she said but she didn't stay to practice. Instead, Prue cut through one of the park trails to get to the main city. It would have been quicker to go in the opposite direction than she had taken at her house but she didn't want to accidently be seen going in the wrong direction and it get around to Grams. She was perfectly content taking a little longer route if it meant she wouldn't have to explain to Grams anytime soon. The next step was to find out where this address was to. That shouldn't be too terribly hard but she also had to be careful of who she asked. It couldn't be one of Grams' friends that couldn't keep their mouth shut to save their life. Prue decided a convenient store nearby the park was a good start. She often took her sisters there to get candy or sodas but Grams rarely went in there.

A short jingle of a bell announced Prue's entrance to those inside the store. This early in the morning only had a few people picking up things and they were no one she knew. On her way to the counter, she picked up a Hershey bar like she usually did when she came here so as not to look too suspicious.

"Hey, Prue, just you today?" the owner, a beefy man with a large dark mustache, asked.

Prue smiled and nodded. "We were out of chocolate and I need some for school on Monday," she explained as if that was a perfectly normal reason to need chocolate. Though for those that knew her, it actually was.

The beefy man laughed a loud booming laugh as he rang up her chocolate. "$1.03, dear," he told her cheerfully.

Prue pulled out the money and gave it to him before placing the address on the counter for him to see. "Do you know where I can find this address?" she wondered, silently praying that he would look through his records for it.

He passed her a small bag with her chocolate bar in it before taking up the small piece of paper. "Cherry grove, eh? Run on down to Buddy's, take a left and follow that path until it ends. Take another left and you should see a huge catholic church. That road is Cherry Grove," he told her.

"Thanks," Prue appreciated. She waved to him and left the store with a new spring in her step. She actually knew which church he was talking about. Andy went there on Sundays with his parents and she had tagged along more than a few times over the years. Better yet, it wasn't even that far away. Of course, it would be longer because she had to walk but she knew the way. Prue turned her steps in the correct direction and started on her way with the small bag swinging in her hand.

~PO4~

Prue hesitated when she reached the huge entranceway doors of the catholic church. She looked down at the address in her hand again and read off the very numbers on the side of the church. It was the same place. What did that mean about the baby? Was she left here? Maybe still here? Prue didn't walk in immediately. I mean, what was she supposed to say to them? Was a baby brought to them almost ten years ago? That might work but only if asked to the correct person. She pulled the doors open and stepped inside. Candles lightly lit up the large entrance hall and she followed the hallway to the main sanctuary. She stopped just inside and glanced quickly over the room. There were a few people praying at the altar, some priests and nuns helped some others or went about preparing for tomorrow's service.

Her pale bluish-grey eyes landed on Father Austin. He was an elder priest and Andy looked up to him in some ways thus Prue knew a good bit about him. She was about to walk up to him, figuring he was as good a place as any to start, when a nun saw Prue hesitating in the doorway.

The nun, Prue guessed to be in her early to mid-thirties, approached. "Can I help you, honey?" she asked sweetly.

Prue bit her lip uncertainly. "Maybe," Prue admitted. "Did you, uh, work here ten years ago?" she asked, thinking it would be best to find someone that would have been here at the time the baby may have been brought by. She realized too late that it may have sounded a little rude. You weren't supposed to ask about ages and in a way… that question was.

"Yes, I have. Going on fifteen," the nun answered. "You can call me Sister Agnes," she introduced herself.

Prue smiled a little. "I'm Prue," she returned before continuing. "How about the day August 2nd, 1977?" Prue followed her question with the day the baby had been born.

Sister Agnes didn't immediately answer as she regarded Prue curiously. She looked over her more carefully as if trying to fit together a puzzle. "I was," she replied. "May I ask why you're asking?"

"Um, I was wondering if a baby was brought here that day…" Prue trailed off as she caught Sister Agnes' face. "… sometime," she finished.

"Your name is Prue?" Sister Agnes questioned. Prue nodded and the nun looked thoughtful for a moment. "Starts with a 'P,'" Sister Agnes mumbled so softly that Prue barely heard her. "There was a baby that day. I found her but this isn't the best place to have this discussion. Follow me, dear," she offered before starting off down a hallway.

Prue looked surprised that there actually had been a baby that was brought here. Not to mention that she just happened to have found the nun that knew of the baby girl. What were the chances? Prue guessed she was just lucky and then followed hastily after Sister Agnes, an eager smile playing on her features.

Sister Agnes took her through several hallways until she found a certain door and invited Prue inside. It was a bedroom. Rather small but comfortable. It had everything that a nun needed, Prue supposed though it was rather dull to her. Sister Agnes opened a trunk and pulled several items out before apparently finding what she was looking for. She pulled a box out and passed it to Prue. "Her parents… they appeared in a swirl of bright lights with her in their arms. They said they had to give her up to protect her and their only request was that her name begin with a 'P,'" Sister Agnes began.

Prue wasn't sure what to think about the swirl of bright lights… She just decided to discard that bit of information with the thought that Sister Agnes had been overwhelmed at the time. Prue opened the box and pulled out a pink baby blanket with a 'P' stitched into the corner. Prue blinked in surprise. It had been her baby blanket at one time… then Piper's and then Phoebe's. Prue was sure of it. "Is she here?" she asked hopefully.

"No," Sister Agnes started but continued when she saw Prue's face fall in disappointment. "I named her Paige and let a lovely couple adopt her. They're great parents to her, I promise. They don't live too far away either. I can give you the address if you'd like," she offered.

Prue's smile returned and she jumped to her feet. "Yes, please."

Sister Agnes dug out a small book and began flipping through the pages. She stopped on one and took out a pen before scribbling the address down on another piece of paper. "Here you go," she replied, passing Prue the address. She smiled slightly as she saw Prue look at it uncertainly. "Do you know where the Museum of Natural History is?" she inquired.

"Yeah, on the other side of town," Prue answered with a slight nod of her head.

"Turn to the right and that's the road you'll find their house. I think, if I remember correctly, it's the fifth house on the left once you pass into the subdivision," Sister Agnes relayed. "You know, you do look a bit like Paige," she added.

Prue bid goodbye to Sister Agnes and smiled the whole way home. It was too late in the day to go see Paige, besides, Prue would need a car to actually go that far into town. That in itself would take careful planning on her part. So she decided to call it a day. And what a successful one she thought it was.


	5. Destiny Was Altered

**Destiny Was Altered**

The perfect opportunity presented itself Monday, two days following the excursion to the church. Prue was sprawled along her bed with a math book open while she worked a homework set when Grams knocked on her door and walked in.

"I'm taking Piper to pick up another pair of glasses. She broke hers again. Do you want to come?" Grams asked.

Prue didn't look up from her book. "Not really. I don't wear glasses," she reminded her grandmother despite knowing full well that Grams knew that.

Grams' voice took on a bit of an edge. "There's some food in the fridge for dinner. Phoebe was sent to the office again so she's coming along. Behave and…"

"No boys in the house," Prue finished almost robotically.

Grams narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to decide if Prue would heed her order or not. "Mrs. Trudeau is next door if you need anything and Gail should be here in a few minutes," she added instinctively.

"I know, Grams. Besides, you won't be gone that long," Prue pointed out. She frowned at Grams' insistence of having a babysitter for her but for once didn't argue. Aunt Gail was one of the better ones. She didn't even pay much attention to them outside the initial greeting.

Grams nodded to her once before leaving Prue's room. There was some shuffled noise outside and perhaps a bit of yelling as Grams forced a rebellious Phoebe into the car. Prue went downstairs to wait for Aunt Gail, taking a seat at the dining room table where she could watch the door. It wasn't ten minutes later and the elder woman that was almost a second grandmother to the Halliwell girls arrived.

"Prudence," Aunt Gail exclaimed as soon as she saw the eldest Halliwell sister. "You get more and more beautiful every time I see you," she gushed. She hurried forward while Prue slipped out of her chair, knowing Aunt Gail wouldn't be satisfied until she got a hug.

"Hey," Prue greeted, blushing slightly at the comment.

"Any special guys?" Gail questioned.

Prue shifted a little in embarrassment. "Uh, I've been going out with Andy for a couple months," she admitted.

Aunt Gail nodded, unsurprised. "He's a keeper, that one." She started for the kitchen. "How about we make some dessert?" Gail suggested suddenly.

Prue glanced out the window and looked thoughtfully at Aunt Gail's car. Her eyes invariably flickered to land on the keys which Gail left on the table. "Actually, I was going to hang out at Andy's this afternoon," she explained.

"Have fun, dear. Just be back for dinner. Bring him if you want," Aunt Gail allowed absently.

Prue smiled and reached out to grab the car keys that she slipped into her back pocket. "I will," Prue promised, already backing away for the front door. She spun and raced out only to pull to a halt as she found Andy on her front steps.

Andy looked surprised at first but smiled as he recognized her. "Where's the fire?" he joked.

"Ha ha, cute, Andy," Prue returned. She walked past him for Gail's car and Andy followed. "Um, so, Aunt Gail thinks that I'm at your place. Can you cover for me?" she asked hopefully.

"Depends. Where you going?" Andy inquired. He leaned casually against the front door of the car, effectively blocking Prue as she tried to unlock the door.

"I think I've found that girl," Prue answered after inwardly debating whether to tell Andy or not.

Andy's smile faded slightly in thought. "Really? Do you know who she is?"

"I think she might be my sister…" Prue started hesitantly. She noticed Andy's look of concern and hastily jumped to defend herself. "Come on, her baby album was with ours. Mom was holding her and I found out she was given up at your church and the nun I talked with had my baby blanket. She said that Paige was given to her with it…"

"Paige?" Andy interrupted.

"That's her name," Prue clarified.

Andy was silent for several moments. "You're serious about this?" he pressed. Prue just nodded silently. "Want some company?" Andy wondered after another moment.

Prue smiled a little. "You want to come?" she asked.

"My mom thinks I'm at your place. Gail thinks you're at mine. As long as we don't spend forever there, they'll never know we were gone," Andy stated mischeviously. He walked around to the passenger door. "Just don't get pulled over," he added off-handedly.

"Not planning on it," Prue promised. She started the car and backed it out of the driveway, hopefully before anyone saw them.

~PO4~

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Andy questioned for like the tenth time. He was staring out the window at the house that Prue was hovering the car on the end of the driveway.

"Yes, Andy," Prue answered shortly.

Andy cast a glance over at her. "It's a valid question. You said yes to three different houses so far," he pointed out in exasperation.

"Well, I'm sure this one is right," Prue insisted, however, she didn't pull the car into the driveway.

Behind them a car horn beeped and Prue jumped in surprise so that the car jerked forward a couple inches. "Prue, get us out of the road before we get arrested for loitering or stalking," Andy snapped. Prue nodded silently and pulled the car along the edge of the road, out of the way… although only narrowly avoiding the mailbox of the house in question. Andy was out without a second to spare. "I'm never riding with you again," he grumbled.

Prue placed her hands on her hips. "I wasn't **that** bad," she argued.

"You were worse actually," Andy returned.

Prue just ignored him and turned her attention to the house. She quickly spotted the address numbers on the frame next to the door and determined she was actually at the right house this time. No sooner had she done that then the front door opened and a young girl about the age of ten came out. The first thing Prue noticed was her dark brown, slightly curled hair. The girl looked toward them and Prue noticed she had brown eyes and her face seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. She glanced at Andy and found him staring at Paige in a stunned silence. "Uh, Andy, could you not do that. I think you'll scare her," Prue whispered, lightly slapping Andy on the arm to get his attention. Andy obediently relieved Paige of his stare. "You know, she does look familiar," Prue decided to point out.

Andy turned his surprised look on Prue. "Oh, I wonder why that is… she just looks, you know, like you," he stated sarcastically.

Prue's gaze invariably took in Paige again trying to decide if he was right. Paige wasn't paying them any more attention but seemed to be trying to stand a bicycle up at the top of the driveway. "I thought you didn't believe me," Prue replied.

"I didn't," he assured her. "I've changed my mind," Andy added as an afterthought.

"Told you," Prue teased before leaving him at the car to approach Paige. She watched silently for a moment as Paige wheeled her bicycle into the grass and attempted to hold it up as she got on. "It's easier to start out on the driveway instead of the grass," Prue called.

Paige spun around to look at Prue, allowing her bike to crash to the ground. She watched Prue with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "But wouldn't it hurt more if I fell off?" Paige asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"You won't fall off," Prue assured her. "Want me to show you a trick?" she offered.

"What kind of trick?" Paige questioned but nevertheless, dragged her bike toward Prue.

Prue took the bicycle from Paige and inspected it closely. "Does your dad have a wrench lying around?" Prue inquired.

"Yeah, in the garage," Paige answered. She took off to get it and was back in less than a minute. She passed it to Prue, now looking more curious than suspicious of the older girl.

Prue kneeled down next to the bike and lowered the seat until it appeared to be closer to Paige's height. "The trick to learning to ride a bike is to make it so you can still touch the ground," Prue explained. She stood up and pulled the newly fixed bicycle up as well. "Can you touch better now?" she asked.

Paige stared thoughtfully at her bike for a moment before getting on. "A little," she admitted and then looked up at Prue. "How d'you know that?" she wondered.

"I have two little sisters that I taught to ride a bike," Prue explained, offering Paige another smile.

Paige nodded a little. "Can I ride it now?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Um, it'll be easiest if you stay between the garage and the flower bed over there. That way you're not going on a hill. At least until you get the hang of it," Prue suggested.

"Will you hold it?" Paige pleaded after a few moments of trying to get up her courage.

"Uh, sure, as long as I can keep up with you," Prue agreed hesitantly. She chanced a glance over at Andy to see him watching her and Paige with a thoughtful expression. She waved a little and Andy waved back until Paige's voice brought her attention back.

"What's your name?" Paige questioned.

Prue smiled a little sheepishly. "Prue, yours?" she returned.

"Paige," Paige replied. Just as she said it, her bike jerked forward as she pedaled. Prue fell over in surprise as she was no longer being supported by it and hit the concrete rather unceremoniously. Paige's bike wobbled forward a few feet before Paige lost her balance but managed to stand up without falling over. "I thought you were going to hold it," she pointed out. Her arms were crossed almost accusingly as she stalked over to Prue.

"Well, I was but you moved so fast I tripped over myself to keep up," Prue half-lied.

"Prue? Are you okay?" Andy demanded, running up the driveway to make sure she was.

Prue smiled assurance at him and pushed herself to her knees. Paige offered her hand to Prue and Prue took it despite knowing Paige wouldn't really be able to help her up any. As her hand closed around Paige's, a spark erupted between them so that Prue jerked her hand away and Paige actually jumped backwards. "Ow!" Paige squeaked.

Prue looked at her hand in surprise. "Sorry, must be staticy," she apologized, shrugging it off.

Andy glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "Prue, your Grams is gonna be home soon and I bet anything that your Aunt Gail has noticed that her car is missing by now," Andy pointed out.

"Oh, right," Prue realized. The sun was beginning to set which relayed the amount of time she had been gone. "Well, Paige, I've gotta go now," she admitted reluctantly.

Paige narrowed her brown eyes at Prue. "I thought you were gonna teach me to ride my bike," she exclaimed.

Prue thought back to see if she had ever actually said that but couldn't recall a time. She shrugged to herself. "I can't tonight. I'll come back," she promised.

"Tomorrow?" Paige pressed.

Prue hesitated but found she couldn't say no to the young girl, possibly sister, in front of her. "Uh, yeah, tomorrow," Prue agreed.

Paige seemed satisfied with the answer and smiled wide. "Okay, bye, Prue!" With that, Paige skipped toward the front door of her house while Andy grabbed Prue's hand and started to drag the distracted Prue toward the car.

~PO4~

Penny Halliwell sat in one of the waiting chairs while Piper tried on different pairs of glasses to find ones she liked. Phoebe was following Piper and making comments that were probably more troublesome than helpful. Penny found her gaze drawn to a particularly shady man who seemed to be watching her granddaughters with more interest than necessary. She immediately assumed the worst and approached the mysterious man. He took off down the hallway the moment he noticed her and Penny only paused to tell Piper and Phoebe that she was going to the restroom.

Instead, Penny followed the quickly retreating demon or warlock (so she decided) into a surprisingly empty hallway. As soon as she rounded the corner, a flash of light was the only warning she had of a fireball being sent at her. She held her hand out and she was more than a little surprised to find that a wave of fire was being deviated to the side and not a single fireball.

The next second and Penny was sent flying backwards by an invisible force and a crash on the other side of the room told her the same had happened to the demon. She gingerly regained her feet in time to see the demon disappearing down the hallway. As quickly as she could, Penny returned to her granddaughters and rushed them out the door.

~PO4~

Penny stormed into the Manor without a glance at her two stunned granddaughters both of which waited several minutes before following her into the house. Piper and Phoebe could only exchange a nervous glance at their Grams' behavior. So far she had rushed them out of the store without getting Piper's new glasses, nearly crashed the car in her haste to get home, and now she was stomping around the place like Godzilla… so Phoebe said anyways.

"Where's Prue?" Phoebe couldn't help but ask once they got inside. Somehow she had a feeling that whatever it was that was making Grams act crazy had something to do with the eldest Halliwell sister.

"She did what?!" Penny exclaimed loud enough that Piper and Phoebe both heard.

"What did Prue do?" Piper demanded. She and Phoebe ran to the door so as to hear the conversation. No sooner had they made it than they heard a car pull up in their driveway. A few moments later, Prue walked in with a guilty expression on her face. They just managed to catch Andy making a mad dash for his house before Prue closed the front door.

The door to the kitchen slammed and Grams advanced on Prue while Piper and Phoebe hastily slipped to the side so that they were out of the way. "Where have you been?" Grams questioned in a voice that was deathly calm.

"Out," Prue answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"In Aunt Gail's car?" Penny pressed.

"Whoa! Prue stole Aunt Gail's car? Wicked," Phoebe exclaimed, giving Prue a thumbs up.

Penny turned her glare on Phoebe who immediately shut up although the sparkle was still in her eyes. "What are you two doing? Go do your homework," Penny snapped before fixing her gaze back on Prue. "Just go to your room," she ordered. "Now!" she added when no one moved. Piper dashed for her school bag in her haste to get away while Phoebe was much slower about it. Prue glared defiantly at Penny for a split second before she stomped up the stairs. Penny walked back to the kitchen where Aunt Gail was. "Make sure they don't go up the stairs and here's your car keys." With that Penny followed Prue up the stairs, except she kept going until she was in the attic. "Leo!" Penny called.

Blue and white lights signaled the arrival of the Halliwell whitelighter. "Penny," Leo greeted.

"What is going on, Leo?" Penny demanded, not really in the mood for pleasantries.

Leo didn't immediately say anything. "You've noticed too," Leo stated thoughtfully.

"Leo, you tell me what is going on now and skip the cryptic crap or you may find yourself flying all the way back up there," Penny threatened with a point up at the sky.

"They don't know but what we do know is that it's happening everywhere. Magic has gotten… dangerous. Everyone who has tried even the simplest spells have had the results magnified. When offensive powers are used…" Leo began.

Penny was quick to interrupt him. "A demon was looking at my granddaughters. I went to vanquish him and instead of a fireball, there was a continuous stream of fire coming at me. Thanks to me though, they're safe and he didn't get to them. However, my power… **my** power backfired on me, why?" she pressed.

"Like I said, magic everywhere has been magnified for the past hour. The cause has yet to be determined however…" Leo trailed off hesitantly. Penny glared at him and he hastily continued. "… I've heard they've called Patty up there to talk with them," he finished.

Penny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why?" she repeated her question in a hard voice.

"Because they think there's another…" Leo pointed to the Book of Shadows. "… Charmed One," Leo explained.

Penny didn't so much as bat an eye. "What does that have to do with the powers?" Penny inquired impatiently.

Leo began to speak but was cut off as a wind appeared in the attic and deposited the Angel of Destiny in front of Penny. "The prophecy of the Charmed Ones only included three sisters. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were chosen to be Charmed but this night at 5:00 pm Prue met with the fourth. Their innate magic has merged to disastrous effects on the magical community. Their destiny must be altered for everyone's sake," the angel explained.

"You cannot deny them their birthright. They are the Charmed Ones. Magic needs them," Penny snapped.

The Angel of Destiny approached the Book of Shadows only to have Penny block his path. "Their new destiny has already been decided, there is no stopping it," he replied calmly.

The Book of Shadows suddenly began to glow and the pages flipped frantically until it landed on the _Dominus Trinus_ page. Penny could just see the words being erased before it flipped to the page that recorded the prophecy of the Charmed Ones. The book suddenly shut and the glow faded. Where the triquetra had been a new symbol for four now stood.

"The prophecy will include the fourth," the Angel of Destiny stated. He noticed the relieved expression on Penny's face despite how she attempted to hide her emotion. "It comes with a price. Paige does not have a Warren power and each sister must sacrifice a little of their power to include her. Four is weaker than three," he warned, turning away from Penny and Leo. "But still better than no Charmed Ones at all. The world will soon need them and we hope your daughter's mistake will not hinder the Power of the Charmed Ones."

"Paige was not a mistake. Magic isn't everything. The power of sisters is stronger than a bond of magic. In a way, four is stronger than three," Penny argued.

"We pray you are right," The Angel of Destiny admitted. There was another gust of wind and he was gone.


	6. So Everything Three Became Four

_A/N: I apologize for the wait but my week has been quite busy. Love the reviews and if there's anything you want to see, feel free to drop a pm or review for me. It shouldn't be too difficult to add a little. This one's short, I warn you in advance._

**So Everything Three Became Four**

Penny remained in the attic the rest of the night, flipping through the improved Book of Shadows. She was more than a little impressed at how it changed every spell that had once been for three to four. Of course, she would never admit that she was impressed in any way. Still, _Dominus Trinus_ was now _Dominus Quattuor_, the Charmed prophecy now read of four women and included a fourth power despite Melinda Warren only having three, every spell was altered so that the Power of Four could be used. It seemed evidence of only three had been wiped from existence. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe had truly been the Charmed Ones and now Paige would join them in their destiny.

Eventually, as the sunrise drew near, Penny closed the Book of Shadows and walked down the stairs. She paused outside of her two eldest granddaughters' bedroom. She listened for any sound of movement but Prue and Piper were fast asleep this early in the morning. Penny cracked the door open and sure enough Prue was barely visible beneath the layers of blankets and Piper seemed just as deeply asleep.

Her eyes landed on Prue and her gaze softened just a little. Penny had yet to know whether Prue knew Paige was her sister or if they had just crossed paths. She didn't know the story behind Prue and Paige's interaction but she didn't believe in coincidences. Her heart ached at knowing Paige would somehow be drawn to them and she hoped it wasn't through tragedy. Another part of her was delighted as she knew her daughter had wanted more than anything for the four girls to be together. At the time it hadn't seemed possible but now it was. Penny sighed softly. Four was weaker than three. Would the bond of sisters truly make up for it? Would they be able to fight against those that wished them harm? Or were they brought together only to die together? There were no answers to those questions. Penny's gaze shifted to Prue again. "You've no idea what you've changed," she whispered to her sleeping granddaughter. She silently closed the door again and walked down the next flight of stairs. There was no use in worrying about it now. What's done was done but she sincerely hoped it was for the better and not worse.

~PO4~

Prue was surprised the next morning when she got up and her Grams said nothing about her escapade with Aunt Gail's car. In fact, it was a rather peaceful morning in the Halliwell household. Prue left early to walk with Andy and her sisters rode the bus.

"How much trouble did you get in?" Andy asked.

"None actually," Prue admitted, the surprise evident in her voice.

Andy stared at Prue disbelievingly. "None?" he repeated.

"Yep, she just told me to go to my room. She never came in and this morning she had breakfast ready but didn't say anything," Prue explained with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Andy smiled cheerfully at the thought. "Great, so you're free Friday night. Movies?" Andy suggested.

Prue glanced over at him. "You didn't get in trouble?"

"Your Grams didn't call my parents so they don't know," Andy replied. "So movies?" he pressed.

Prue smirked and nodded. "Sure," she agreed. "What are we going to go see?" she wondered eagerly.

"It's a surprise," Andy countered.

"Not fair," Prue mumbled, running her hand through her hair. "Andy, are your parents using a car tonight?"she questioned. Andy's face turned into a look of horror and Prue laughed. "I'm just joking. I'll take a taxi to see Paige tonight," she assured him.

"You're going back? Where are you getting the money for the taxi?" Andy inquired.

Prue swung her bag around so that she could dig through it while they walked. Eventually she pulled out a twenty dollar bill. "It should be enough to get me there and hopefully back. If not, it might be a long walk…"

Andy narrowed his eyes. "If you can't then call me to come get you from Paige's house. Dad says there's a serial rapist in town," he stated.

"There's always a rapist in town," Prue pointed out, earning a glare from Andy. "Alright, I will," she promised.

~PO4~

School passed in a blur as Prue found it particularly difficult to pay attention to anything the teachers said. Andy actually had to step up and take notes in class for them. At the end of the day, Prue waited until the buses left with her sisters and decided to skip out on cheerleading practice to use the office phone to call a taxi.

That's how she found herself walking up the driveway of Paige's house. Paige apparently saw her from the window and came running out before Prue had even made it halfway up. To Prue's horror, a woman that Prue assumed was Paige's mother, walked out too. Prue froze mid step and barely registered Paige babbling about how she was so excited Prue had come back. The woman glanced from Paige to Prue and back again as Paige pulled Prue forward.

"This is Prue. She's teaching me how to ride my bike," Paige explained.

Paige's mother knelt down in front of Paige. "Why don't you go get your helmet from your room," she suggested. Paige opened her mouth to complain but a glare from her mother shut her mouth and she grudgingly agreed.

Prue looked even more nervous without Paige as the woman looked at her curiously. "You're Prue? Paige has been talking about you non-stop all day," Paige's mother stated.

"Really?" Prue asked, unable to keep the pleasure out of her voice. "I mean, uh…" she started to amend when she realized that might be a little on the annoying side.

Paige's mother smiled pleasantly. "I'm glad," she interrupted Prue. "I've wondered if I would ever be able to meet her family."

Prue's jaw dropped in shock. "I never said…"

"Please, it's not too hard to see the resemblance," she pointed out and Prue fell silent.

"You've been in touch with Sister Agnus," Prue guessed in realization.

Paige's mother looked impressed. "I have," she admitted but was cut off as Paige came running back with her helmet. "Are you staying for dinner, Prue?" she inquired sweetly.

"Uh… sure," Prue agreed hesitantly with a glance at Paige who was nodding emphatically.

Paige's mother then turned to Paige with a stern look. "Paige, you have twenty minutes on the bike," she stated.

Paige crossed her arms. "But mom…"

"No, buts, you should know better than to fight at school," Paige's mother reminded her, earning a scowl from Paige.

"Okay," Paige mumbled dejectedly. Paige's mother nodded and walked inside to fix dinner.

"You got into a fight?" Prue repeated in surprise and curiousity.

Paige blushed slightly and nodded. "They wouldn't let me play kickball during recess," Paige mumbled.

Prue placed her hands on her hips. "Who wouldn't?" she demanded.

Paige tilted her head to the side at Prue's demand. "Some guys in my class but they let Glen play so I don't see why I couldn't," she answered.

"You know what, Paige. If someone gives you a hard time just tell me and I'll beat them up," Prue offered

"Are you my sister?" Paige asked suddenly so that Prue almost fell over in surprise.

Prue quickly steadied herself. "What makes you think that?" Prue questioned.

Paige shrugged. "Just wondering. I've always wanted a sister…"

"Well, how about we say that I'm something like a sister," Prue decided.

Paige's face split into a grin. "Davy better watch out. He always threatens to tell his brother but now I can tell him I have a sister," she exclaimed cheerfully.

"Davy… what's his last name?" Prue wondered thoughtfully.

"Locker," Paige answered.

"No way, Jordan Locker's little brother? I might just have to have a talk with him," Prue stated mostly to herself.

~PO4~

An elder waved his hand over a pool and the scene of Prue and Paige faded away. He turned to face the crowd before him which consisted of almost entirely whitelighters although there was one lone witch. Patty stood in the middle with Leo next to her. "Well?" the elder prompted a response.

"I have nothing to say," Patty replied shortly.

"You endanger the world and you have nothing to say?" he retorted.

Patty glared dangerously at them. "I regret nothing. I would do it all again. Paige is not a threat to anything," Patty snapped in return.

"Did you realize when your daughters met that magic became unpredictable? More than one witch or whitelighter was harmed in the aftermath," the elder pointed out.

Leo stepped forward in Patty's defense. "No one could have known that would happen and regardless, the angels of destiny have already remedied the situation. There is no reason to bring that matter up," Leo insisted.

Patty stubbornly did not reply and the elder narrowed his eyes while giving a slight nod to Leo in acknowledgement. "We'll see if you'll regret it…" he whispered, hinting toward the future. "Mr. Wyatt, escort Patty back and watch your newest charge," he ordered.

Leo took Patty's hand and orbed them out.


	7. But Tragedy Was Unavoidable

_A/N: The elders... the elders in my stories are not very nice people, generally. So the way that elder in particular acted ties into a side plot that I have going in my season two rewrite. I can't say much else without spoiling so I'll refrain myself. However, there's also the point that this is the first time the rule was broken. In the actual episodes, Piper and Leo were given permission to be together before Paige was discovered. In this case, Paige is discovered first when the idea was unheard of so I would think that would spark a different reaction from the elders. Perhaps betrayal?_

**But Tragedy Was Unavoidable**

Paige Matthews careened to the side after a sudden force hit her. The wind rushed through her hair and she hit the ground heavily. She rolled a couple of feet and pain shot through her arm that caused her to cry out. Tears sprang up in her pretty brown eyes so that she barely saw someone approach her. "Mommy!" she cried, clutching her arm against her chest.

Glen stared in horror at his fallen friend. "I'll go get your parents," he promised, rushing across the grass. He jumped over Paige's bicycle which was now on the ground and raced up the steps to Paige's house.

Her Mom and Dad came out following Glen's hurried instructions. Her father, a firefighter who had been about to leave for a shift, carefully picked her up off the ground.

"My arm hurts," Paige wailed.

"Can you move it?" Paige's dad asked calmly but he exchanged a worried glance with his wife.

"We'll just take her to the hospital. Everyone in the car," Paige's mom ordered before she ran back into the house to grab the car keys.

~PO4~

Prue ran down the hallway of the hospital, searching for the correct room Paige was in. She had received the call at her house (luckily it had been her to answer the phone) and hastened out the door as fast as she could without drawing unwanted attention to herself. Of course, that hadn't gone as planned when Phoebe walked down the stairs just in time to see Prue at the front door. Her little sister, as annoying as ever, went running to Grams while announcing to the entire house that Prue was sneaking out. Prue snatched for a lie and claimed she was going to the convenient store. She fought to keep her face straight as Grams scanned her over and she had a horrible feeling Grams knew what she was up too. Prue eventually came to the conclusion that Grams didn't when her grandmother let her out the door much to Phoebe's disbelief. Prue walked a few blocks down the street to Buddy's before Paige's father came to pick her up.

He was now parking the car while Prue was too impatient to wait for that. It had been almost three months since Prue had first come into contact with Paige. She was now practically another member of Paige's adopted family and ate meals there at least two days of the week. Sometimes Andy came with her and he was well received as well but most of the time it was just Prue.

Prue finally found the correct room and barreled in as if she owned the place. She blushed as everyone in the room (Paige's Mom, Glen's parents, Glen, a doctor or nurse, and, of course, Paige) turned to look at her.

Paige was the first to react as she gave Prue a watery smile. She slid from the edge of the bed and ran to Prue. There was a bright orange cast on her left arm that quickly caught Prue's eyes. "Hey, Prue, will you sign my cast? The doctor says I'm supposed to get people to sign it," Paige explained.

"Paige, honey, the nurse was not done talking to you," Paige's mother berated lightly.

"It's no problem, Mrs. Matthews. Everything looks fine. I'll be back with the release papers," the nurse assured her before sliding out.

Paige watched the nurse leave and then turned to Glen. "Where did you put the pen, Glen? My sister needs to sign too," Paige insisted.

"I… had it," Glen mumbled, looking down at the ground for the pen when he realized he didn't have it anymore for some reason.

"Your feet, son," Glen's father pointed out. Glen stooped down to pick up the purple sharpie that he gave to Prue. He hastily let go when Prue fixed him with a calculating stare which he thought was rather eerie.

"Where do you want me to sign?" Prue asked curiously. Her eyes scanned over the almost obnoxiously bright cast and saw Glen's name already written in huge letters.

Paige looked thoughtful for a moment before she pointed to the area around the wrist. "Isn't it cool? I got to pick the color and everything," Paige exclaimed cheerfully while Prue obediently signed her name.

Prue placed her hands on her hips. "I didn't teach you to ride your bike for you to break your arm," she scolded, earning a laugh from the adults which brought another blush across Prue's cheeks.

"It was kind of cool actually," Glen admitted.

Prue narrowed her eyes, uncertain how breaking your arm could be cool. Paige seemed to know what he was talking about. "He says that he saw lights around my bicycle," she stated in an excited voice.

"Lights?" Prue repeated, obviously confused.

Paige's mom stood up from the hospital couch she was sitting on. "They've been talking about that since they calmed down," she explained to Prue before looking out the hospital door. "And it looks like your dad's back with those release papers…" she added referring to Paige.

Prue forgot all about the mysterious lights as Glen's mom also followed Mrs. Matthews. "Great timing. Ice cream anyone?" she suggested.

"Of course," Mr. Matthews agreed as he walked in in time to catch the end of the conversation.

"You're coming too, Prue, right?" Paige inquired, taking hold of Prue's hand with her good hand.

Prue looked a little surprised but couldn't fight back a smile. "Yeah, that would be great."

The adults left the room first and then Glen telling his parents where he wanted to get ice cream from. Prue and Paige were last, trailing after the others, still hand in hand.

~PO4~

Paige kicked at the ground with her feet despite the fact that her feet didn't quite touch the ground in the tall office chair. She could just see the heads of her parents inside the principal's office where they were talking. Eventually, after what seemed like hours to the ten-year-old girl, her parents came out, grim-faced and somber. Paige scowled and shuffled silently out the door after them. It wasn't until they were all seated in the car that anything was said.

Mr. Matthews started up the car while Paige's mom turned in her seat to see her daughter slumped in the back. "Why another fight, Paige?" Mrs. Matthews asked in a stern voice. Paige glared out the window and mumbled something about 'never listening to her.'

"Paige, your mother is talking to you," Mr. Matthews stated but Paige still didn't reply. "Alright, you're not going to Glen's birthday party tomorrow," he decided.

"What?" Paige demanded in disbelief.

"You cannot fight at school. We told you if you got into another fight that you couldn't go to the party," Mrs. Matthews reminded her.

Paige sat up in her seat, stretching her seatbelt to the limit as Mr. Matthews pulled out into the road. "You can't do that. Glen invited me," she argued. "And it was Davy's fault."

"So it's always Davy's fault?" Mrs. Matthews questioned.

Paige nodded emphatically. "Yeah."

"No, it's not. Your teacher said you started the fight," Mr. Matthews countered.

Paige turned red in the face. "My teacher's an idiot. She doesn't…"

Mrs. Matthews spun back in her seat. "Paige Matthews, do not say words like that. I'll wash your mouth out with soap," she warned.

"But it's true," Paige insisted.

"Paige," Mrs. Matthews returned.

Paige just kicked the seat in front of her. "My real parents would listen to me," she grumbled, loud enough for both her parents to hear. Mrs. Matthews turned away hurriedly at the words.

Mr. Matthews took his eyes off the road to face Paige for a second. "Apologize to your mother now," he ordered.

Paige opened her mouth to snap a retort back but whatever she said was lost in the sound of blaring horns. Paige jumped at the sudden impact as an eighteen-wheeler struck the car on her mother's side. The next thing she saw was a flash of blue and then she was rolling across the gritty pavement amongst a myriad of scattered glass. She looked up to see the car already overtaken by flames.


	8. Many Hardships Followed

_A/N: In response to Vali27's review, I do not believe Paige knows that Prue is her sister at this point. Just that she's "something like a sister." And after this chapter there's going to be a time skip. The sisters will be college/teenagers. I have several scenes throughout my rewrites that fill in gaps between this time skip so I do not feel the need to go deeper as this piece is meant to be read along with the others. I originally had Prue taking a blood test to prove Paige was her sister at the very end of this chapter but decided I didn't want to get into that so, just know that it happened. _

**Many Hardships Followed**

Penny Halliwell flipped on the television as she cooked breakfast for her three granddaughters. She wasn't really watching until a reporter announced a deadly car crash that had occurred the afternoon before. Penny Halliwell did not find that surprising as in San Francisco it was quite an unfortunate yet common problem. However, she looked up at the screen anyways. She'd always had a weak spot for gossip.

She scrambled some eggs in a bowl while the reporter explained that an eighteen-wheeler ran a red light and hit a car that contained a couple and their young daughter. A flash of sympathy shot through her but she found herself paying more attention as the reporter then went on to say it was a miracle the girl had survived. After all, Penny knew there were no miracles. There was magic. She dropped the bowl when a picture of Paige was shown up on the television.

~PO4~

Prue was the last one down the stairs that morning and the first thing she noticed was Phoebe searching the cabinet for cereal and Piper with a small plate of toast. She groaned inwardly. "Grams didn't make breakfast?" she guessed.

"Nope," Phoebe stated shortly.

Piper looked irritated as her gaze shifted from Prue to Phoebe and back again. "Grams shouldn't be making breakfast for us," she reminded them.

Prue joined Phoebe by the cabinet. "Well, she should when there's not even any cereal to eat," Prue argued. Piper just huffed and turned back to munching on her toast. Prue narrowed her eyes and walked up behind Piper before hurriedly reaching out for a piece of toast.

"Prue, give me my toast back," Piper snapped, spinning around in her seat.

"I have to eat," Prue insisted. She took an exaggerated bite of the bread while Piper just glared daggers at her eldest sister. Eventually, Piper met Phoebe's eyes and she reluctantly handed her last piece of toast to her little sister.

Phoebe practically swallowed hers whole and then looked around for more. "Is that it?" she asked. "Lame," she muttered as she dropped into a seat to wait for the bus.

The doorbell rang and Piper and Phoebe turned curiously toward the door while Prue hurriedly grabbed up her bag. There were only a couple of things that got Prue moving this early in the morning. One was the need for a hot shower the other… "Andy," Piper and Phoebe realized at the same time.

Prue skipped into the foyer and her sisters followed much less enthusiastically but all three stopped when they found Grams at the front door already. "Sorry, Andy, Prue isn't going to school this morning," Penny explained.

"I'm not?" Prue couldn't help but ask in confusion.

Phoebe threw her fist in the air excitedly. "Yes, no school!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Penny turned to face her granddaughters. "Actually, Phoebe, I said Prue wasn't going to school. You and Piper are. In fact, you two should be waiting outside for the bus now," she replied.

"What did you do?" Piper whispered to Prue who looked just as confused.

"I didn't do anything," Prue retorted but she exchanged a worried look with Andy.

Phoebe just stomped her feet. "But that's not fair. How come Prue gets to stay home from school?"

"Phoebe Halliwell, I don't want to hear any complaining. You and Piper go on to school. Now. Go with Andy," Grams ordered, leaving little room for argument.

Ever-so-slowly Piper and Phoebe walked out the door with Andy and left Prue alone in the foyer with Grams. Grams said nothing to Prue until almost fifteen minutes after the bus came by. She walked into the conservatory to find Prue waiting impatiently for an explanation. "Grab your bag. We're going to the hospital."

"Why?" Prue questioned suspiciously.

"Do not start with me this morning, Prudence," Grams warned. Prue sighed and nodded in agreement.

~PO4~

Prue became increasingly nervous as they walked through the hallways of the hospital. "Grams, why are we here?" she asked. She looked over her grandmother as if trying to see if there was something wrong with her.

Grams' stern features softened at her granddaughter's obvious worry. She pulled Prue to the side so that they weren't in the way of the crowd. "Your… sister, Paige, was in a car accident," she explained after deciding that Prue would probably handle everything better if it was just thrown out in the air. Prue did not say anything but a myriad of emotions crossed her face. "Yes, I know about her. I know you know her. She's your half-sister…"

"Okay, but why are we here?" Prue interrupted. It wasn't as if Grams had taken her to the hospital when Paige broke her arm… so what was different?

"Her adopted parents did not survive," Grams answered carefully.

Prue looked shocked and rubbed her arms as if she was cold. "Is she… okay?" Prue inquired.

"She was physically unharmed," Grams assured her.

Prue opened her mouth but then closed it again. "Why did you bring me?"

Grams let her hand rest on Prue's shoulder so that Prue looked up at her. "Because she needs you to talk to. If anything can help her, it would be her big sister that has suffered a situation way too similar," she insisted. "Wait here," she added before going to the receptionist desk.

~PO4~

Fifteen minutes later, Prue found herself standing outside the room that Paige currently occupied. Her Grams didn't wait a second but walked in as soon as she heard an answer to her knocking. Prue hesitated, just staring at the now open door. No matter what her Grams said, Prue was certain that talking wasn't going to help much. Regardless, she took a deep breath and walked inside.

The lights were off and Paige appeared to be asleep in the hospital bed. Prue recognized the couple next to the bed as Paige's Aunt Julie and Uncle Dave whom she had met once before. Prue continued to stare at Paige's form and ignored the conversation between the adults. After several minutes, Grams caught her attention.

"Prudence, we'll be back in a few minutes," Grams explained.

Prue nodded absently and was a little surprised when Aunt Julie and Uncle Dave followed Grams out into the hallway. Left alone in the room, Prue dropped into the seat closest to the bed. She played with her hands, attempting to come up with something to say for when Paige woke up.

"Prue?" Paige's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Hey," Prue returned. She frowned at the inadequacy but couldn't think of anything worth saying. Paige didn't reply and Prue eventually crawled up next to her on the bed. "Sucks," Prue sighed almost in frustration. "Everything's going to be okay, though," she added in a soft whisper.

"How do you know? I feel bad," Paige mumbled, turning wide brown eyes to Prue.

Prue smiled sadly over at Paige. "I felt bad too," Prue admitted. "… but I'll make sure you're okay. It's a sister thing," she explained.

"A sister thing?" Paige repeated. Prue just nodded and Paige accepted the fact.


	9. But Time Passed

_A/N: This is more or less the last chapter. The next one is more like a short epilogue to tie everything to Something Wicca This Way Comes._

**But Time Passed**

Sixteen(almost seventeen)-year-old Paige Matthews was lounging on her bed and watching television when Phoebe shoved the door to their room open. It slammed against the wall but Paige barely batted an eye. "Hey, Paige," Phoebe called.

Paige cast a glance over at her sister. She didn't seem surprised in the least at the tight and revealing attire, the dark make-up, nor the cigarettes in her elder sister's hands. However, she didn't answer and turned back to watching tv.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and threw the cigarette packs onto the bed as she made for the closet. "Listen, I'll trade you a cigarette pack for a bottle," Phoebe offered while pointing at Paige's "hidden" stash of alcohol.

"One pack, one bottle," Paige agreed without taking her eyes off the television.

"Great," Phoebe stated.

Paige watched as Phoebe hid the bottle in her bag and opened the window so that the chill night air blew into the room. "Where're you going?" Paige questioned curiously.

"Party. Coming?" Phoebe asked.

Paige made a face and shook her head. "Not tonight. Never going to Jim's again," she answered.

Phoebe shrugged. "Suit yourself." With that Phoebe swung her leg over the windowsill and disappeared.

Paige didn't bother shutting the window. Instead, she reached over to Phoebe's bed and grabbed her cigarette pack. She lit one up and shoved the rest onto the nightstand next to her bed. She had only gotten about halfway through when Prue stormed suddenly into her room.

"Paige, do you know…?" Prue started to ask but stopped as she took notice of her youngest sister. "What is that?" she demanded.

"A cigarette," Paige replied in an 'obviously' voice. No use denying it.

Prue placed her hands on her hips in disapproval. "Where did you get it?"

"Phoebe."

"Where's Phoebe?" Prue prompted.

"Don't know," Paige muttered, a little irked at the stupid questions.

Prue didn't buy it and didn't miss the open window. "Where's the party at tonight?" she questioned. "Paige Matthews," she snapped when Paige did not answer.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Jim's," she stated. It wasn't as if Phoebe had ever covered for her. "Hey!" Paige exclaimed when Prue swiped the cigarette from her hand.

"Don't be stupid," Prue returned. "I have to go to work. Don't bother Grams. Piper is home. I don't want to hear that you've moved when I get back," she listed off while narrowing her eyes at Paige.

"Fine, whatever," Paige offered. Prue continued to stare at her for several moments before she turned and left. Paige made a face at her back and then swiped up a new cigarette from her pack.

~PO4~

Paige and a couple girls walked down the dark streets toward the Manor. Paige had a half-empty bottle of alcohol swinging from her hand as they laughed over a particularly funny moment at the party.

"Paige, you comin' tomorrow?" one of the girls asked hopefully, a bit of a drawl over her words.

"'Course. Why wouldn't I?" Paige questioned.

The other girl shrugged. "You didn't come yesterday. We saw your sister but not you," she explained.

"I only don't go to Jim's party. It was good I didn't go though. Prue was pissed when Phoebe got home. Phoebe's been stuck with her all afternoon," Paige laughed. The other girls followed suit. They stopped as they came up on the Manor. "See ya'" Paige offered before walking up the steps. The girls continued down the street as Paige opened the front door and walked in. "Hey, Piper," she greeted, apparently unconcerned at being caught. Piper was definitely the nicer sister to get caught by. At least so she thought until Piper nearly pinned her against the wall.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Piper screeched, uncharacteristically furious.

Paige immediately took the defensive. "Out. Who cares?" she demanded.

"I care! While you've been traipsing around and partying with alcohol all night, I've had to wait for you," Piper snapped.

"What? Got a date?" Paige joked.

"If you had been here you would have known that I didn't have a date. You would have been here when I got the call that Prue and Phoebe had been in a car accident when some drunk driver ran a red light. And I wouldn't have to be standing here instead of being at the hospital with Grams to see if they're okay!" Piper ranted.

Paige's smile dropped. "Piper, I…"

"Go to your room and stay," Piper interrupted, not in the mood for excuses.

Paige shook her head and followed as Piper moved to grab her purse. "No, I'm coming too," she argued.

"Hell you are. If you're still here and sober when I get back then maybe," Piper returned in a voice that left little room for argument. Piper was out the door before Paige could form a coherent retort.

Paige stared at the door in shock. Prue and Phoebe. Car accident. Drunk Driver… Paige glanced down at the bottle in her hand. **Drunk** driver killed her sisters? "I will be," she whispered in response to Piper's conditions. Her hand tightened before she threw the bottle at the wall where it shattered. The remaining liquid dripped down the wall which Paige didn't bother cleaning up.

~PO4~

Paige jumped off the couch when she heard the front door open and close. She raced around the corner into the foyer to find Prue throwing her jacket on the ground. The eldest Halliwell had a bandage on her arm and a bruise or two but otherwise seemed unharmed. "Prue? Are you and Phoebe okay?" Paige demanded. She threw her arms around Prue's neck.

Prue flinched slightly but returned the hug. "I am. Phoebe will be," she answered simply.

Paige stepped back and studied her sister. "Where is she?" she asked.

"Hospital. Piper and Grams are with her," Prue replied before slipping by Paige to get to the kitchen.

"You know it's not your fault, right? I mean, they ran the red light…" Paige began.

Prue froze mid-step. "If I had been looking like I was supposed to have been instead of arguing with Phoebe then I would have noticed that he wasn't stopping," Prue argued. "Do you want coffee?" Prue questioned suddenly.

Paige tilted her head to the side but took the hint. Prue didn't want to talk. "Okay," she agreed for the coffee.

~PO4~

Paige was at her desk in her and Phoebe's room where she was furiously writing a paper. She paused when the door opened and a freshly recovered Phoebe sauntered in. Phoebe immediately went to the closet but frowned at the door. "Where's your stash?" she demanded in confusion.

"Gone," Paige answered simply.

"Gone? Like you're out?" Phoebe asked.

Paige shook her head. "No, I want nothing to do with the stuff. Any of it," she explained.

Phoebe stared at her as if she had grown another head before laughing loudly. "Ha, that's a good one," she joked. "Seriously, Paige. Did you move it under the bed after Prue found it or something?" she prompted.

"I am serious. In case you didn't notice, you nearly died because someone took that stuff," Paige snapped.

Phoebe shrugged and rolled her eyes. "So then don't drive like an idiot," Phoebe pointed out.

Paige slammed her pencil down on her desk and turned in her seat to look at Phoebe. She narrowed her eyes at the bags in Phoebe's hands. "Keep that out of here," she warned.

"Or what?" Phoebe taunted.

"Or I'll tell Prue," Paige threatened.

"That's rich. You running to Prue," Phoebe laughed. "Listen, stop being an idiot and I'll let you come with me to New York. I nearly have enough," Phoebe offered.

Paige didn't answer for several moments. "Just keep that stuff at your parties," she insisted.

Phoebe stayed silent. Instead of speaking, she threw her bag pointedly on her bed before opening the window and climbing out for the night.

Paige glared after her and shoved her seat back. She grabbed the bag and tossed it out the window after Phoebe. She heard a yell of anger but then shut the window so she wouldn't have to listen to it. Paige wrote a few more lines on the paper in her hands before she walked down the hall to Prue's room. Slowly, she raised her hand and knocked.

"Yes?" Prue's voice sounded through the door.

Paige hesitantly opened it and poked her head inside. "Can I ask you a question?" Paige asked after noting that Prue was working on some college project.

Prue glanced over and looked at Paige kind of funny. "Sure," she agreed.

"I was wondering if you had time to read my paper," Paige explained as she held it out to Prue. "You know, not like right now but early applications are due by Monday," she rambled in her nervousness.

"You're applying? To college?" Prue inquired, earning a blush across Paige's face. "Where to?"

"Golden State, of course… and I thought about Berkeley…" Paige admitted. "I mean, I doubt I'd get in because of my grades and everything but I thought it'd be worth a try and they're close by," Paige added.

Prue didn't immediately reply as she scanned over the paper. "They'd be an idiot to dismiss this paper, Paige," Prue stated. "This part about your adopted parents will make them cry," she complimented.

Paige shuffled a little. "I wrote about you too," she pointed out.

"You make me sound better than I am," Prue sighed but she was obviously impressed with the paper itself.

Paige tilted her head to the side. "You still on about that car accident. It wasn't your fault," she insisted. Prue just shrugged. "Grams shouldn't have made you quit photojournalism."

"It was my fault, Paige," Prue argued softly. "I don't remember the light being red but it was. It doesn't matter that the other driver was drunk. We were both in the wrong, I guess, but I was the one that wasn't paying attention," Prue continued with a soft sigh.

"Maybe but…" Paige started.

"Don't tell Piper or Phoebe but Grams is also getting worse. I can't leave now," Prue interrupted.

Paige didn't appear surprised. She suspected Piper and Phoebe wouldn't really be surprised either. They had all noticed Grams' condition. "What about all those classes you've been taking for photojournalism?" she questioned.

"I've changed my major to Art History. Most of my classes will transfer there. What doesn't is just going give me extra hours. I should still graduate on time," Prue explained. "I was lucky really."

Paige wouldn't really call it lucky but she supposed it wouldn't help to say it aloud so she just stayed quiet while Prue flipped to the next page of her paper. "I was thinking about a career in social services. Berkeley… if I'm lucky and they allow me in, has this really good two-year program…"

Prue smiled at Paige's change of subject. "Paige," she interrupted so that Paige trailed off. "You'd be great at helping people. You always have been," she offered.


	10. Setting the Stage to be Charmed

**Setting the Stage to be Charmed**

"I've been accepted! I've been accepted!" Paige screeched. She ran through the house, excitedly waving around her acceptance letter from Berkeley University.

Prue turned away from the phone long enough to grab Paige as the youngest sister ran by. She offered a tight hug and a proud smile to her. "Great job, Paige," she stated wholeheartedly.

Paige beamed up at Prue before racing over to Grams and waving the letter in her grandmother's face. Grams chuckled softly and led Paige into the kitchen for a victory dessert of Paige's choice.

~PO4~

Piper pulled into the driveway and got out of her car. She grabbed the papers from the bank that she hadn't finished during the day and proceeded inside.

From a distance, Jeremy leaned against a lamppost. His eyes followed the elder middle Halliwell until she disappeared inside the Manor. Two warlocks blinked in next to him. "I believe the Charmed Ones have been found," Jeremy announced.

"Then let's kill them," one warlock suggested eagerly.

Jeremy shook his head. "Not yet. Their powers must resurface first," he reminded them. Each warlock made a face of disgust at waiting but they reluctantly agreed, eventually blinking out of the street so that only Jeremy was left. "I have a plan. Soon," he stated to himself.

~PO4~

Phoebe was in Piper's room, hastily typing away on Piper's computer. Next to her bed there was a pile of cash that she had been saving up. The computer screen finally loaded and Phoebe looked over the prices for airplane tickets to New York. She frowned at the numbers and cursed as she realized she'd need to drive. She flipped to a different tab where there was an article published in New York. Victor Bennett was labeled as being in the picture for some kind of work he'd been doing.

"Phoebe?" Prue's voice carried from downstairs as well as footsteps coming up.

Phoebe tossed the cash into a bag that she carried and hurried out of Piper's room before she could be caught. She hid the bag under her bed and resigned herself to waiting a little while longer. Phoebe slammed her head into her pillow as the house phone began to ring incessantly. Irritably, Phoebe's hand shot out to the one that resided in her and Paige's room (courtesy of Paige begging Prue). "Halliwell," she grumbled into the phone. She looked up thoughtfully when she heard the voice on the other end. "John? No, Paige isn't here…" she trailed off with a bit of a smirk crossing her features. She rolled over into a more comfortable position. "… how about I bring it to you? Say 6 o'clock? Perfect." Phoebe hung up and made sure her bag was truly hidden as she heard Prue's footsteps coming down the hall. "Sorry, Paige," Phoebe apologized under her breath but her faint smile didn't leave her face as she looked through the closet for something to wear tonight.


End file.
